The parent application to the present invention grew out of the need for an optical collection device that could be inserted into a power utility generator in order to monitor optical radiation emitted by different areas of the generator. The device set forth in the parent application included a position sensitive optical detector coupled to an optical probe. The optical probe detected photons emitted within different fields of view in a single flat plane. It would be desirable when monitoring devices or machines including, without limitation, nuclear reactors, to have an optical probe which could simultaneously monitor multiple fields of view positioned at any angle around the circumference or perimeter of an optical probe. Accordingly, there is a need for a probe which will alter the detection plane of the probe of the parent invention from a flat plane or a sector of a cylindrical plane to any plane desired, such as, for example, a cylindrical plane.
It is therefore an overall object of the present invention to provide a probe for simultaneously acquiring optical radiation from multiple fields of view disposed about a cylindrical plane.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a probe which can convert any desired radiation to optical radiation, and acquire and transmit the resulting optical radiation.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a probe with multiple optical signal acquisition devices that can be attached to one or more position sensitive optical detectors.
The foregoing and other objects and features of the invention will be understood with reference to the following specification and claims and the drawings.